Red & Gold Roses
by Almi Melwen
Summary: Complete. One shot. DG. A Valentine Day's gift from Harry leaves Ginny heartbroken . . . until she gets another present from Draco Malfoy.


**Author's note: **This is just a one shot about Draco & Ginny.  Lots of fluff.

_"Stupid Harry, stupid Potter . . ." Ginny muttered, looking disdainfully at the golden yellow rose she had placed beside her.  A yellow rose for Valentine's Day!  The nerve!  She sighed, pulling out the grass beside her rather viciously.  The sun set upon the lake of Hogwarts, creating a rather beautiful cascade sunset, but Ginny Weasley was in no mood to enjoy the scenery, especially with all the lovesick couples around._

_It was then she decided - Valentine's Day was just plain horrid._

_Grabbing a rather large pebble she hurled it at the lake, as if it was to blame for her rotten disposition.  Or rather, she had attempted to hurl it at the lake but an unlucky passerby got the brunt of her aim._

_"OW!" the boy snarled, glaring at Ginny.  "No need to take your pain of rejection out on me Weasel."  Pale blond hair glistened in the fading sunlight._

_Great . . . the perfect ending to a perfectly horrible day.__  Just what she needed – Draco Malfoy.  Instead of apologizing she narrowed her eyes, her anger full peak.  "Go away Malfoy!"_

_He snorted, spying the yellow rose beside the youngest Weasley.  "Wow, talk about a yellow rose.  That's got to be the strongest shade of yellow and gold I have ever seen."_

_Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, but she fiercely blinked them back.  She grabbed another stone, this time a fist-sized rock and hurled it at him.  "You, you prick!"_

_His eyes widened and Draco barely managed to dodge the projectile. Good thing for seeker reflexes.  "Calm down Weasel!  We don't have enough purebloods in the world as it is."_

_She gave him her best look of hatred and decided to ignore him._

_He raised an eyebrow at her lack of response.  "Ah, going for the silent treatment approach . . . not bad, but it's not going to work on me," he drawled.  He sat down next to her and the yellow rose.  He watched the sunlight reflect off her crimson hair, let down in soft curls._

_Ginny sighed, and turned to the richly dressed Head Boy.  "Please," she said with a bit of begging in her voice, "just leave me alone.  I promise we can reschedule exchanging nasty insults some other time."  Her voice became a gentle whisper, "just not now ok Draco?"_

_He shivered from the way she had softly purred his name, without even realizing the effect it had on him.  Then again, Ginny probably didn't know the effect she had on all of him being so blinded by Potter – that stupid git.  What did he have that Draco didn't?_

_Draco ignored her request and leaned against the tree behind him, stretching out his legs.  "I'd wager a guess that Potter didn't send that rose as part of the Gryffindor colors."_

_The redhead laughed bitterly.  "How'd you guess?"  She forgot her early request for Draco to leave.  "A stupid friendship rose – too much of a bloody coward to tell me himself."_

_The tall blonde-haired boy smirked.  "That's Potter for you.  Must have been sorted into Gryffindor because the other houses wouldn't take him."_

_Despite herself, Ginny laughed._

_Draco raised an eyebrow.  She wasn't upset that he had just insulted Wonder Boy?  Maybe she was getting over him faster than he thought._

_"So what brings you to the single side of the lawn?"  She motioned around her to other students who had inadvertently created a single vs. couple division across the lake._

_"The knowledge that Pansy Parkinson is waiting for me on the other side."__  Draco shuddered._

_Ginny snickered.  "To think you're scared of a girl."  She turned to him, and was surprised to find his normally emotionless face looking . . . peaceful.  Odd – the Slytherin prince was never seen so unguarded . . . so human.  The sixth year girl turned away before he could catch her watching him._

_"She's not a girl."_

_Ginny quirked an eyebrow.__  "Oh?"_

_"She's a horrible excuse for a girl that constantly pesters me and should be kept very far away from innocent people such as myself."_

_That statement caused Ginny to laugh again and she found she was actually enjoying Draco's company.  "Innocent?  You?" she choked out while laughing._

_The Slytherin pretended to look insulted.  "That's it.  I've had enough of your taunting woman."  He got up, brushing his robes._

_"Wait, don't go," Ginny hastily apologized.  "I didn't mean to-"_

_Draco interrupted.  "It's not you.  I have to a prior engagement I must attend to."_

_"Oh."  She tried to keep the disappointment from showing on her face._

_He smirked.  "And to think you were telling me to go away earlier."_

_"You were being rude, pointing out the yellowness of my rose," she retorted._

_"So yellow is definitely friendship and not because you're in Gryffindor?" he asked casually._

_Ginny sighed.  "Yes.  How daft can you be?"_

_"What about red?"_

_She snorted.  "Please tell me that you're joking."  She looked up at him and saw the seemingly confused look on his face.  "It means love."_

_"That's the only meaning?  Because I mean gold and red are Gryffindor colors," he insisted._

_Ginny gave him a strange look.  "Shouldn't you know this?"  She shook her head at him.  "People don't give roses on Valentine's day for house color themes Draco."_

_"So then love is the only meaning for a red rose?"_

_"Yes," she said, exasperated.  "Love is the only meaning for a red rose."_

_"Good," Draco said, tossing a velvet-soft dark red rose in her lap.  He quickly turned and left for the castle._

Ginny shook herself from the memory.  The sparkling red rose was magically enchanted to have dew drops on its petals continually.  It also emitted a soft red sparkle around it.  That red rose was the reason she was standing in front of Draco's Head Boy room.  She knocked on it softly, just in case he was still sleeping.

There was no answer and she turned to leave, frowning.  Now she would be thinking about what he had meant by the flower.  Was it a joke?  The look in his silver eyes had told her otherwise yesterday.  She took a few steps away from his room when she heard his low enrapturing voice.

"Leaving so soon Weasel?"

She stopped, and turned around.  Ginny softly gasped, taking in his appearance.  Merlin he was handsome!  He had obviously just finished showering, as his towel, embroidered with the Malfoy crest hung around his neck.  Water dripped from his hair, making streaks down his bare, very muscled chest.  The black draw-string pants were the only piece of clothing he was wearing.  He leaned casually against his doorframe, smirking at Ginny's reaction.

"Any time now," he drawled amused, snapping Ginny out of her trance.

She blinked with wide amber eyes at him.  Her now rosy cheeks and dark red curls added to her allure.  Regaining her thoughts she remembered the reason for coming.  "Why did you give me the rose yesterday?"

Draco raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms defensively.  "I thought that was obvious."

"But that means . . ." Ginny was still in disbelief that this boy was the same one who had mercilessly mocked her family and anyone he thought lower than himself.  Maybe he had changed?

The pale blonde Slytherin sighed impatiently.  "How can I make this any clearer?"  Then he smirked, getting an idea and strode over to her.  Taking advantage of her opened mouth, he quickly bent down and captured her lips with his.

Ginny immediately melted into him, wrapping her arms around his neck.  There was a masculine, clean smell, no doubt from his aftershave, but it was definitely Draco.  She smiled into the kiss.

He swept her into his chest, holding her tighter, not willing to relinquish how she felt in his arms.  Just this one moment made the entire day of agonizing whether or not to get her a flower worth it.

She ran her hands through his arm, and stood on her tiptoes, being snogged senseless.  They finally broke apart for air, and Draco looked Ginny straight in the eyes, which were sparkling with happiness.  He needed to make sure one thing before kissing her again and getting more of his feelings invested to this fiery wonderful little creature.

"Are you still stuck on Potter?" Draco asked sharply, gauging her reaction.

Ginny looked confused and then remembered.  She gave him a bright smile.

"Potter who?"

When Ginny finally returned to the Gryffindor common room many hours later her lips were swollen and her eyes sparkling.


End file.
